igen interwork between generation z and...
TRANSCRIPT
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IGEN
Interwork between Generation Z and Employers
2016-1-CZ01-KA202-023939
Transnational analysis of IO1
May 2017
ISCAP
Portugal
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Table of contents
1. Introduction. The project..............................................................................................3
2. National context - Overview of the situation of each country as Gen Z is concerned................................................................................................................................4
3. Research design...........................................................................................................11
4. Global analysis..............................................................................................................11
5. Conclusions....................................................................................................................37
6. SWOT analysis of the interwork between Generation z and Employers........40
7. Implications for companies and education / suggestions, comments and guidelines................................................................................................................................42
ANNEXE 1.................................................................................................................................47
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1. Introduction. The project
The project “iGEN – Interwork Between Gen Z and Employers” is implemented in the framework of Erasmus+ VET program. The main goal of the project is to reduce the gap between two main actors on the labour market – members of generation Z and employers, building up cooperation between them and creating an effective and successful work environment.
Companies face several challenges due to changes in labour market trends, such as a trend of labour demand exceeding labour supply in the near future or the already three different generations (baby boomers, X and Y) present in the labour market augmented with the new generation, so called Gen Z (Aged between 16-21), recently entering the job market with whole new expectations, and so little known about.
The two main target groups of iGEN project therefore are companies who already or will have Gen Z employees and members of Gen Z, with the aim of harmonizing the needs of both sides, and bringing effective solutions to help them be more prepared for the new ways of cooperation.
The project will produce several outputs. The first output will be methodology providing methods, tools and best practices for SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) to create an attractive, supporting and retaining working environment. The second output will be the Mentor training, developed based on surveys of European SMEs and demands of Gen Z. The third output of the project is a soft skill training material produced for members of Gen Z, based on the company and Gen Z survey and also on the research process, adequate to the Gen Z learning styles. This will help young employees to be more prepared for, and more confident at work, more assertive and able to solve problems due to understanding the demands of the job market and the working styles of older generations.
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2. National context - Overview of the situation of each country as Gen Z is concerned
Spain
Generation Z members (defined as the cohort of people born between 1995 and 2010) represent almost 26% of the world's population. In Spain, because of the low birth rate, the percentage falls to 16%, according to INE data of 2016.
Due to the context of the world in which they grew up, these young people have certain characteristics:
They are experts in technology. Since birth, in one way or another, they have been in touch with smartphones and new technologies and they have grown up in an environment with unlimited access to information. The ease with which Generation Z approach all digital formats empowers them and gives to them the feeling that anything is possible. For them technology is the means, not the goal.
They are individualists par excellence. More inclined to the virtual world than to the real one, they live connected in social networks and do not conform to one but are present in many at the same time. However they are attributed a certain shortage of interpersonal skills: they are less accustomed to face-to-face interactions; also in the virtual world they are basically interested in what they themselves do inside the network (get more followers, more likes in publications, etc.).
They are interested in economic security, which leads them to value job opportunities more, and to try to save more by reducing their expenses to the minimum necessary. They were born, lived and grew up during an economic crisis that affected their environments and influenced their personalities. The salaries they can access are low and their relationship with money has changed. "They want to enjoy things, but they do not want to have them" (Nuria Vilanova, President of Atrevia) and that is why applications to share expenses (like BlaBlaCar) or to exchange objects (like Wallapop) have so much success.
They were born with a black president in the USA and they have grown up with classmates who have two fathers or two mothers or come from totally different cultures. "Diversity is consubstantial, not a pose". For this generation, all the changes and rights that the previous ones have achieved or have had to accustom are a natural thing. "It is the first generation that has assumed that democratic development, together with technological development, is unstoppable and generates new human rights" (Iñaki Ortega, director of the Deusto Business School in Madrid). They are more tolerant and plural, and according to experts "they will undoubtedly be the least sexist and racist generation in history" because they have a better attitude to respect the opinions of others.
They have some rejection of hierarchies. They know how to accept orders but would rather not have to, and this leads them to constantly seek new horizons and new freedoms.
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The study "Generation Z Grows Up" (consisting in a survey of about 50,000 young people born between 1996 and 2000, from 46 countries, including more or less 1,300 from Spain) has focused on issues related to attitudes towards education and the world of work. The survey draws a portrait of this generation that can be summarized by its:
Optimistic spirit: 65% of respondents say they are hopeful about the future.
Alternatives to the University: 47% say that they might consider joining the labour market instead of aspiring to university studies. 15% openly accept the idea of giving up the university to work or to focus on vocational learning projects, after seeing in many countries that having a university degree does not protect against unemployment. In Spain, for example, it is estimated that more than 41% of people between 25 and 34 are graduates, but the unemployment rate in this segment is close to 14%, three times above the OECD average, which is 5%. However, they know that they will have to be learning all their lives and 60% of respondents would like to know what training companies offer for their employees without university degrees.
Values at work: They express, rather than fear of not finding work, the fear of having a job where they cannot develop (36%) or that does not coincide with their personality (37%); they are also afraid of not performing optimally (33%) or failing not reaching their professional goals (28%). They consider the concept of fixed work disappeared and they take with normality changing of employment, sector and professional category. The members of Generation Z want to join an innovative and creative entrepreneurial environment, but also transparent and respectful of the planet. They prefer flexible environments, which facilitate the conciliation of their professional and personal life, that favour their creativity and that allow them to express their personality.
Entrepreneurial mindset: 55% of the young people who participated in the survey say they are interested in setting up their own company; the figure drops to 39% for Spanish youth, which still represents a high percentage.
According to the study "Generation Z. the last generational leap" (Atrevia and Deusto Business School, Spain, 2016) new generation are “better able to adapt to more diverse tasks and multicultural and global work environments”. They will be protagonists “of the so-called gig economy, that is to say, a great network of autonomous workers who, linked in network, generate a great project. A part of the young Gen Z will become accustomed to being linked to projects rather than to employers, and this will provide greater levels of freedom and autonomy, but will also increase uncertainty and the risk of falling into precarious employment".
Portugal
Mobility and flexibility are the "magic potions" to attract young people in Portugal.
Although separated for a considerable period, there are several aspects that these age groups (Y and Z) have in common, especially with regard to the conditions they value at work. Flexibility, mobility, and immediacy (or thirst for the "here and now") are the characteristics chosen as the most appreciated. Living in "real-time", combining and articulating work with personal life, is fundamental for these workers, particularly those
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belonging to generation Z, who view social networks and cyberworld in a way that members of previous generations cannot understand or even accept.
Privileging well-being, they defy conventional working standards (considered rigid or not very flexible), for flexibility and mobility, leaving fixed working hours, but not commitment. Seeing life and enjoying every moment - not making a distinction between work, family and fun - is one of the great characteristics of these new (and future) workers, who are regulated by the maxim "work hard, play hard".
The way to look for work is one of the main points of "disunity" between the two generations: a study by the Center for Executive Education reveals that while generation Y prefers to look for opportunities in specific sites for this purpose, social networks and outsourcing companies or temporary work. On the other hand, while the Y does not show a real preference for the size of the companies in which they work or intend to work, when considering a potential future employer, generation Z will be less interested in working in large organizations.
Although both generations do not dispense with the world through electronic devices, their attitude towards technology is also very different: the former has grown with computers and is adopting the new technologies as they become more sophisticated; The second, in turn, was born in the digital world. For these so-called digital natives, a world without touch screens, intuitive gaming devices, mobile phones and applications is simply unthinkable. As IT will increasingly become a must in the workplace, employers, present and future, will need to bear in mind the importance of IT about information demand, skills to collaboration. However, both generation Y and, most likely also Z, will continue to choose face-to-face communication with their leaders. In addition, if generation Y has become accustomed to the execution of several tasks at the same time, Z will be "compulsively" adept at multitasking.
Social and environmental responsibility is another major concern of these new generations. According to a global questionnaire on the future of talent, 70% of respondents aged 18-34 said they preferred to work in companies that were concerned about their social and environmental impact. A curious fact is that respondents in emerging markets are even more concerned about this (77%) than their peers in developed countries (67%). Also, engaged in "doing good" and "generating impact", generation Z places greater importance on social issues, seeking to articulate their functions with the resolution of problems such as discrimination or poverty. This is linked to the ambition expressed by both generations to seek inclusive enterprises that do not discriminate against their employees based on age, race or culture (a concern expressed by Generation X, although not so pronounced). These generations support diversity and see in it a learning and a tool to become better people. It should also be emphasized that social entrepreneurship occupies a preponderant position in terms of future career.
Creative, Impatient and Transparent
Often there are comments about the fact that baby boomers or members of Generation X still remember things they learned in elementary school (such as the tables, the names of rivers, railway stations), and that younger generations forget everything (or learn nothing) quite easily. And it is true ... According to this report, the brains of generations Y and Z are not as prepared as those of previous generations to store information for the simple reason that they have never had to do this exercise. On the other hand, as already
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mentioned, they are much more apt to perform several tasks simultaneously and to change registration almost immediately.
However, easy access to information generates a great feeling of impatience in these generations, especially when they do not see their work recognized (perhaps because they are aware that nothing lasts forever, or because they have grown up in a "feedback culture" motivated by social networks). Moreover, for these generations, transparency and information are obligatory for a good working environment, since they do not understand or accept the traditional model which presupposes that all information is only accessible to the higher bodies of the companies and is prohibited to the rest workers.
One of the "secrets" to attract and retain these workers is to motivate them and engage them in the "mission" of the company because they value the praise or constructive criticism of colleagues or superiors who dominate the area where they work. However, and partly motivated by the economic crisis, Y-generation workers are now starting to value money more for a rewarding job, contrary to the Generation Z elements who claim to prefer jobs or companies where they can evolve. In addition, both groups prefer "leaders" (who show them how to do it) to "bosses" (who tell them to do something).
Mobility and flexibility, combined with creativity, allow us to do different and innovate, without the rigidity of a schedule but with equal commitment
Cyprus
Cypriot members of Generation Z are considered technology experts. They realize this is their most important competitive advantage over the past generations. Sometimes technology is so integrated in their everyday life, they simply forget that they use it by instinct. They make a distinction between of what technology they use for personal matters, and that used in the workplace. They can easily incorporate any electronic tools to produce at work. Social networks fall into the category of technology for personal use, as they seldom use them for work related needs.
When it comes to their future workplace, their greatest worry is to find a welcoming working environment, to be treated with respect and patience from management and co-workers and be given the time to learn and adjust. Although their generation is more geared towards technology and they have an abundance of communication means, they vote in favor of a person-to-person or, at worst, telephone contact in the workplace. This proves that the human factor was, is and will be irreplaceable.
Although they appreciate the formal education they received, they still believe they lack social, interpersonal and life skills, which could have been assisted by formal education.
Gen Z, as every new generation, appreciates the value of network of contacts. Being though young, the development of their personal network is at a primary stage. Therefore, they use their immediate family’s access to contacts in order to trace good job opportunities. Job hunting over the internet is not considered an effective method.
They prefer jobs that fit their skills and studies and prefer smaller companies where they will be given the opportunity and the attention to develop.
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They don’t believe their first job will last for long. They consider it as an intermediate stop towards something more challenging. They have both feet on the ground as to what salaries to expect at the start of their career, but expect to earn a decent salary after some years of service. They are not very concerned about their working hours or working schedule at the beginning, but they dream of a balanced personal life and work later on.
They prefer a working environment with co-workers closer to their age. They want to skip any obstacles created by any generation gap consequence. This will help them stay focused to developing their skills. They have great respect for the older generations as their experience can offer them tested scenarios. At the same time, they fear old fashioned approaches, bypassing technology and fast access to information.
They do not believe in flat organograms, yet they want their leader/manager to be respectful, supportive and communicative. They also want him/her patient to guide through. They like him/her to understand the likes and dislikes of their generation, and to create an approachable leadership style.
They want the management to recognize the qualities they are capable of bringing in and to exploit them to the benefit of their organization. They can contribute to the enhancement of technology in the workplace. Their language skills may be useful in an attempt to be assist their organization to be extrovert. Their innovative ideas, mostly based on technology, can modernize procedures or intercompany practices and make them more efficient.
Gen Z looks at the future with optimism but cannot ignore the traumatic past. They value the importance of a job and are eager to give to it their best. It is important to have a supporting working environment where they will be encouraged to offer their input.
Hungary
Generation Z makes up just 3 % of the workforce today in Hungary, but this rate is getting higher and higher in the upcoming years.
However, online sources are considered to be the most important in terms of active information seeking. Most members of the age-group find answers to their questions on the Internet, and they usually use search engines if they need information.
Personal contacts are regarded important when they seek information.
According to the research, young people have regular contacts with others mostly on online platforms. Outdoor activities of youth are fairly active; It is a popular free time activity among the youth to watch movies and series. Appearance is really important for this segment. According to a gallup poll of Tárki (2015), 15 % of the Hungarian population are willing to leave Hungary and move abroad, while this rate is very high, 67 % among the young people in Hungary.
Most of them think that they have a big influence on their life and they can reach the set goals on their own. Work means salary, self-determination, responsibility and opportunities
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for them. They are looking for a job, where the working hours are flexible and the work/life balance is provided. They are not a loyal generation most of them worked for maximum 1 year at a company and they are willing to leave the workplace easily if they find a better one. Regarding their future planning, most of them would like to establish their own enterprise or find a job which fit their interest.
Czech Republic
There are not yet many investigations focused on the youngest generation in the job market because not many such a young persons are permanently employed. The generation Z is not working in permanent jobs their experience is connected only with part time jobs or school practices.
The compulsory education in the CR lasts 10 years, at least to the age of 16. Majority of population continues in studies at least 3 years of vocational training. The decision not to continue studies after the basic school is often caused by psychical handicap, criminal history, drug addict or maternity leave.
Many young people do not want to start working right after finalizing their studies, quite often, they live with their parents and the financial income is not very important for them. The time up to three months after leaving schools is not important because the jobs interviews are usually started in the period 3-12 months after leaving school.
While the main features of the generation Z have not been investigated yet they are supposed to be similar as the generation Y. If it is true or not, and discovering typical values for the generation Z - this is the goal of this project.
Poland
Gen Z members have different approach towards money and buying. They haven’t lived in the times with empty shops, so they are not as careful and resourceful as generations that have lived through communist regime. On the other hand they are not as focused on the consumerism as the millennials are. This is the first generation in a long time that has a chance to obtain a healthy attitude towards money. Poland has joined NATO in 1999 and EU in 2004 – for Generation Z it is the most natural way the Europe works. The technological gap between generations in Poland is much bigger than in the Western Europe. Gen Z is as advanced with mobile devices as anywhere in the world, but the previous ones have lived in the times of technological shortages and didn’t fully catch up. Gen Z is a generation of social media life. The Internet has been available on the first mobile devices in 2000 which is when most of the young people were born. They have been online for the most of their lives. With Internet comes the popculture – an access to movies, music, books, websites, blogs, applications, language etc. Young generation sometimes feels more connected to people from the other side of the world than with their own countrymen. Gen Z are conformists and like their comfortable world – it can be observed even in music. The times of rebellion have ended in the previous decade. There was punk in 90’s,
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depressing hip-hop about unfair reality in 2000’s – nowadays the music is global and usually used for entertainment. When you look in TV, books, newspapers etc. the Generation Z is a little neglected in common awareness. The difference between them and their parents/grandparents is bigger than have ever been before. Young people are usually not let or willing to create the reality they live in – they have their own world and feel good and safe there. The problem appears when they are forced to go into a workplace and confront their mindset and lifestyle with the more “traditional” ones. This is why the initiatives and projects like IGEN are needed.
UK
Graduate employers believe Gen Z employees inject new ideas and can apply current thinking from academia. Managers believe that Gen Z has a need for instant gratification, are resistance to authority, have poor face-to-face communication skills and an expectation for quick promotion- these represent some of the biggest challenges that need to be addressed.
• The top five most important things Gen Z looks for in a job are: salary, flexible working and good work-life balance, job security, regular training and development and good holiday allowance. • Unlike their elders, Gen Z - and contrary to employer’s expectations, do not place so much importance on the values and ethics of their employers.
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3. Research design The methodology adopted to produce the iGEN State of the Art report has consisted in a 4-step exercise implemented from October 2016 to March 2017:
• Identification of the field of investigation and agreement on an operational proposal including the design of the tools and a first set of schedules to complete the research. This process started before the kickoff meeting that took place in Prague.
• Issue of a final operational proposal including survey and interviews questionnaires and focus group (field research).
• Translations and adaptations of all the research tool. Make the questionnaires available online and implement them
• Analyze the results.
In the next section we explain the procedures for each research tool
Questionnaire
The questionnaire was translated into each partner language. Then each partner asked for two external experts to comment it. Suggestions were introduced in the final version of the tool. The questionnaire was made available online. Some partners decided also to provide it in paper in order to facilitate students to fill it in. The dissemination of the questionnaire was made using several solutions: facebook post with a link to the questionnaire; post in groups of youngsters; message sent to individual persons asking them to answer the questionnaire and inviting friends to do the same, among other solutions.
4. Global analysis
Distribution of respondents by partner country:
Country Frequency CY
49
CZ
199
HU
107
PL
46
PT
68
SP
65
UK
62
Total 596
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Graph1:Distribution of respondents by partner country:
When were the respondents born?
The majority were born in 1998. Nevertheless, there are respondents since 1995 till after 1999.
Graph2:Whenweretherespondentsborn
CY
8%
CZ
33%
HU
18%
PL
8%
PT
12%
SP
11%
UK
10%
18%
20%
14% 22%
16%
10%
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 After1999
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As for the gender, the majority is female. Graph3:Genderoftherespondent
The majority of the respondents attended as a last grade, the 12th grade, followed by the 9th grade. Graph4:Levelofstudiesoftherespondents
When asked if they had any type of professional experience, the majority (500 out of 596) said Yes. From now on, we only take into consideration the answers provided by the respondents who said have already had a professional experience (N=500).
What kind of experience did you have?
Male Female
9thgrade31%
10thgrade3%
11thgrade9%12thgrade
35%
VET
11%
App.School6%
Bachelor5%
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The next table shows the distribution of the kind of experience by each partner.
Table1:Workexperiencesoftherespondentsbycountry
When we consider the aggregated data, results are those in the next graph.
Graph5:WorkExperiencesoftherespondents
How long did this experience last?
Graph6:Durationoftheworkexperienceoftherespondents
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180
ProfessionalInternship
Fulltimejob
Parttimejob
Occasionaljob
Volunteerjob
Curricularinternship
0 50 100 150 200 250
Lessthan3months
4months
5months
6months
6m- 1year
>1year
Professional
Internship
Full time job
Part time job
Occasional
job
Volunteer
job
Curricular
Internship
CY 5 19 25 6 10 2
CZ 46 4 31 82 20 13
HU 25 13 24 33 32 0
PL 5 2 1 13 7 3
PT 37 4 15 11 26 33
SP 16 2 18 16 10 15
UK 0 1 32 0 8 1
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In which areas?
Areas
Percentage
(%) Arts 7,4
Commerce 8,6
Education 9,6
Engineering 11,4
Healthcare 8,7
Information technology 1,1
Information Technology 9,2
Media ,3
Media and entertainment 10,1
Office and
administration 19,
Other 16,1 Table2:Areasofworkoftherespondents
Which social media do you use to communicate?
Graph7:SocialMediausedtocommunicatebytherespondents
The next table shows the results distributed by country.
FB Snapchat
Whats
app Skype Twitter Linkedin Instagram Hangout
CY 53 30 24 17 5 7 33 2
CZ 138 37 45 61 20 3 71 2
HU 77 11 4 19 2 0 30 0
PL 20 10 1 7 4 5 11 0
PT 70 42 44 19 16 7 63 1
SP 28 41 59 27 12 7 40 4
0
100
200
300
400
500
FB Snapchat Wahtsapp Skype Twitter Linkedin Instagram Hangout Reddit
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UK 43 36 17 16 27 1 26 1 Table3:Socialmediausedbycountry
One curious issue was to note that in Spain the majority of the respondents prefer to use Whatsapp to communicate. In all the other countries the preference goes to Facebook.
What kind of training practices do you prefer?
Graph8:Trainningpracticespreferences
The analysis per country shows that most of the respondents in the different countries prefer Experiential learning, except those from Spain that prefer Team practices and those from UK that prefer discussions.
Experien
tial
learning
Role-
play
games
Simula
tion
Lear
ning
games
Team
pra
ctices
Case
studies
Presen
tations
Discus
sion
Brainsto
rming
Video
analysis
Field
visit
CY 32 17 20 12 20 4 10 20 17 4 10
CZ 93 12 34 34 66 14 23 33 17 37 61
HU 42 18 15 26 30 21 18 32 24 15 33
PL 14 5 6 7 7 7 8 8 5 11 5
PT 62 3 24 16 31 10 17 18 34 7 39
SP 18 6 15 13 40 19 10 9 7 9 8
UK 0 6 19 13 23 18 19 24 22 15 19 Table4:Preferencesoflearning
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
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Which of the following are most important to you when looking for a job
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Work/life balance 117 44 45 46 36 42 50 39 Career opportunity advancement 36 88 43 46 54 54 43 52 Financial rewards / opportunities to travel 45 35 41 58 46 42 60 84 Training and development opportunities 42 66 68 47 42 51 43 45 Friendly environment 61 71 70 73 77 34 17 14 Use the most of your skills 20 30 41 43 54 84 69 60 The job fit well into your personality 47 43 56 56 49 54 74 35 Stability in life 51 39 40 42 60 40 58 78 Table5:Importanceoffactorswhentheyarelookingforajob
Which qualities do you value most in a leader?
1st place
2nd place
3rd Place
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The word clouds below show how youngsters describe themselves.
Portugal
Hungary
UK
19
Spain
Cyprus
PL
Hard working
Punctuality
Creativity
CZ
20
Which of the following are more important when looking for a job?
Graph9:Importantissueswhentheyarelookingforajob
Table6:FiguresoftheImportantissueswhentheyarelookingforajob
How well do you feel your school prepared you for work?
Graph10:Preparationfortheworkplace
360 370 380 390 400 410 420 430
Work/lifebalance
Careeropportunityadvancement
Financialrewards/opportunitiestotravel
Traininganddevelopmentopportunities
Friendlyenvironment
Usethemostofyourskills
Thejobfitwellintoyourpersonality
Stabilityinlife
1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8thWork / life balance 157 52 55 67 47 48 58 49Career opportunity advancement 44 114 52 52 67 63 62 75Financial rewards / opportunities to travel 50 47 48 78 55 58 77 110Training and development opportunities 54 75 96 63 61 58 56 52Friendly environment 76 92 92 89 103 40 22 19Can use most of your skills 24 40 54 55 66 110 93 67Job fits well into your personality 79 53 66 64 57 71 94 43Stability in life 47 54 46 46 71 54 63 97
Great MoreorLess Bad
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Which of the following do you prefer to use when you are looking for a job?
Graph11:Toolstosupportthelookingforajob
The table below shows the differences by countries as for how respondents look for a job.
Employer's
websites Facebook LinkedIn
Personal
network /
friends /
family
My college
/ university
career
center /
education
institution
Staffing /
employme
nt /
recruitmen
t agency
All the
answers
CY 18 8 5 24 12 11 20
CZ 91 44 3 102 32 67 11
HU 36 33 2 54 18 22 1
PL 10 7 5 7 2 8 4
PT 60 10 21 22 19 36 7
SP 16 6 22 47 35 12 3
UK 0 7 3 25 19 27 3 Table7:Toolstosupportthelookingforajobbycountry
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350
Employers'websites
Personalnetwork/friends/family
Colllege/university/vetschool
Staffing/employment/recruitmentagency
Alltheanswers
22
Which skills do you think you need to strengthen in order to enter the job market?
Graph12:Skillstobeimproved
Public
speaking
Devel
oping
relatio
nships
Techni
cal
skills
Proble
ms
solving
Proacti
vity
Meeti
ng
deadl
ines
Decisi
on
makin
g
Negoti
ating
Collab
oratin
g
Interc
ultural
skills
Langu
age
skills
Copin
g with
repetiti
ve
tasks
CY 27 19 22 15 13 9 17 20 13 7 12 11
CZ 95 45 60 111 113 74 74 82
10
5 32 63 25
HU 38 27 14 10 22 12 22 20 3 12 34 18
PL 7 2 5 7 4 5 6 2 5 1 10 0
PT 33 11 20 17 4 6 15 29 4 15 42 13
SP 17 10 13 20 5 6 13 13 6 7 13 7
UK 28 16 15 12 11 15 25 18 11 11 18 18
Table8:Skillstobeimprovedbycountry
0 50 100 150 200 250 300
Publicspeaking
Developingrelationships
Technicalskills
Problemsolving
Proactivity
Meetingdeadlines
Decisionmaking
Negotiating
Collaborating
Interculturalskills
Languageskills
Copingwithrepetitivetasks
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Which form of support would you prefer in the workplace?
Graph13:Supportintheworkplace
How well do you feel employers understand the needs of young people?
Graph14:Needsofemployersunderstand
What do you think you can learn from the older generation about work?
Graph15:Learningfromtheoldgeneration
0 50 100 150 200 250 300
Havetheopportunitytolearnfromtammembersonthejob
Usetechnologyintheworkplace
Receivefeedbackregularlyfromyoursuperior
Betrainedonthejob
0 50 100 150 200 250 300
Professionalknowledge/skills
Practicalskills
Communicationskills
Dailyroutinepractices
Nothing
Problemsolving
Collaborating
Adaptability
Theyshouldlearnfromme
Great MoreorLess Bad
24
How do you prefer to work?
Graph16:Preferencesatwork
The table below show the results by countries.
Alone Mostly Alone Mostly in teams
In a small
group (with 1-3
people)
In a bigger
team (more
than 3 people)
CY 13 6 28 4 7
CZ 39 37 84 19 9
HU 16 6 37 4 3
PL 9 5 4 0 2
PT 20 16 46 5 7
SP 11 27 26 4 5
UK 4 11 0 28 6 Table9:Preferencesatworkbycountry
What are the most effective ways to communicate in the workplace?
Graph17:WaystoCommunicate
0 50 100 150 200 250
Alone
Mostlyalone
Mostlyinteams
Inasmallgroup(1- 3)
Inabiggerteam(>3)
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400
Companyvideoconferencing
Acompanyportalfortalkingwithcollaborators
Inperson
textmessaging
socialnetwork
Instantmessaging
Phone
25
Which of the following might provide you with the greatest / least challenges:
Graph18:GreatestChallenges
What are the key factors to make you loyal to the workplace?
0 50 100 150 200 250
FlexibilityinhoursWork/lifebalanceTimemanagement
ThecompanycultureColleaguesfromoldergenerationsyouworkwith
thetypeofworkyoudoTheabilitytobothfocusandcolaborateinyour…
Yourboss/manager/leader'sattitudeEffectivecommunication
Noneoftheabove
0 50 100 150 200 250
Thesalary
Theincentives
Thehours
Theenvironment
Theco-workersIworkwith
Theleadershipstyle
Thelevelofautonomy
Theopportunityfordevelopment
Thesupportingsystem
Série5 Série4 Série3 Série2 Série1
26
Graph19:KeyfactorofLoyalty
What rewards can work as an incentive in order for you to do your best?
Graph20:Incentivesatwork
0 50 100 150 200 250
Bonussalary
Advancement
Bonusholiday
Moralrecognition
Sportfacilities
Recreationduringwork
Education/training
Série5 Série4 Série3 Série2 Série1
27
What kind of training do you prefer at the workplace?
Graph21:KindofTraining
What are the advantages of using technology in the workplace?
Graph22:Advantageofusingtechnologyintheworkplace
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200
Web-basedtraining
Classroomtraining
On-thejobtraining
Team-buildingtraining
Trainingrelatedwiththejob
Softskillstraining
Série5 Série4 Série3 Série2 Série1
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Allowstogetanswerstoquestionsfaster
Helpstodevelopskills
Helpsworkerstocollaborateinprojectmoreeffectively
Enhancespersonalrelationshipswithco-workers
Givesworkersachanneltoexpressthemselves
None
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Interviews
After the approval of the script for the interviews, partners started to look for youngsters to be interviewed. The script is in the annexe 1. All partners did at least 5 interviews. These were recorded and then transcribed.
Looking for a job
Youngsters look for a vacancy in several places. They look for it online, in specialized portals, at school (sometimes there is a centre dedicated to it), in social networks such as Linkedin. As for personal contacts they refer that these are important since most of the times the good jobs are not advertised. They need to have the contacts to get them. As one youngster from Cyprus refer “Young people heavily depend on a good reference from a friend or a relative to secure an interview”. They, themselves, have yet developed a network of contacts, therefore rely on others in their close circle. They also use the recruitment agencies and send their CV’s to sectorial companies.
Although they are still young, they already have some strategies to find a job and know what they are looking for. Generally speaking, they look for information concerning a company in the internet and then may send their CV to that company. As one students from the CZ says:
When looking for a job I am trying to find out anything about the company that I am supposed to work at or perhaps I would contact a person who is currently working at that company and asked him whatever I think is necessary.
They also know where they would like to work. The job should be something they “really like and for what (they have) studied”. Good relationships and mutual appreciation between personnel and among employer and employees are considered very important and motivating factors. Motivation is another highly valued aspect in a job together with financial rewards, team support and development opportunities. Other reasons are work-life balance, good atmosphere and friendly environment. As one interviewee from UK says:
An environment in which I feel comfortable is invaluable, as that greatly aids productivity. Salary and prospects are also important to me – not straight away but so I can see a future.
Workplace
Youngsters referred they like a working environment that stimulates them while working with their peers, with whom they can exchange views. They like an environment where there is method and organization, respect and sympathy. They also mentioned “open spaces” since these may promote interaction and improves communication. They prefer workplaces where there is a good climate (“good professional and personal relations” with colleagues, “to have the possibility to ask them for doubts and questions”, “to learn and find new stimuli” thanks to the team) and a good relation with the boss (to receive help from managers and that the boss “care about their employees, how they do their work, if they feel well in the workplace”).
They also state that they “want to feel (they) contribute to (their) job and have personal satisfaction”, they “want to enjoy what (they) do. (They) want to feel appreciated”. These words express their need to use their skills and for a job to fit their personality.
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Some youngsters also referred that they prefer to work in an office (not at home) since this forces them to get out, to go to a different place. At home they are more relaxed and become lazy (this may also be in line with the desire to clearly separate working and personal life). They also prefer flexibility in hours since inspiration does not appear at 9.05 a.m.
When asked about the kind of co-workers they would want to work with, youngsters replied that they would prefer “co-workers who listen to your ideas and suggestions”, “co-workers who respect you”, “co-workers who like to collaborate” and “co-workers who challenge you”. Co-workers need to be open minded, able to accept ideas and be dynamic. Working with older people is good since this means an opportunity to learn new things from the experience of others. They are also more patient, are available to teach, and are friendlier. They have different points of view, they are flexible, more hierarchic and bureaucratic and understand work in a different way. Additionally, they lack the “social network and new techno9logies factor, which make new generations used / able to do more things in less time”. Younger people is more competitive. Nevertheless, with younger people they can feel more complicity, reliance and “have more in common”.
Interviewees prefer to work alone or in a small group because they consider it more effective and easier to manage. In groups they also feel more stimulated and challenged. Exchanging views and having a good mix in a team would help them to develop their knowledge on the job, their interpersonal relations with the other team members and “push them forward” to learn. However, there are interviewees that prefer to work alone. As they say “if the group is not well organized it is not effective” and “not everybody can manage working in a team”. They also say that a big group “can lead to a chaos” and is not effective because “it is more difficult to achieve agreements and distribute tasks”. Some other also mention that prefer working alone since the job they would like to have requires concentration. They were not negative about working in small groups but felt they could produce more when working alone.
Communication
As for communication, this needs to be face-to-face (“more direct and effective”). Skype may also be a good channel because it “allows you to see interlocutor’s gestures and no verbal message”. Mobile and m ail can also be used for their immediacy. Programmes such as Whatsapp and social networks in general are considered not convenient in work context since they may be a source of misunderstanding and conflict.
Technology
Technology is one of their strengths and interviewees are aware of that. It is totally integrated in their personal and work daily life. They trained for that since they were children and they consider it as fundamental at work. As one Spanish person says “it accelerates the work process” and “it allows to create networks and interrelations that would not be possible without technology”, moreover some “job place wouldn’t exist without technology”.
During the interview there was a need to clarify what we meant by technology since for them internet and smartphones are not technology. These are means of communication, just like the telephone and TV. Technology is part of their lives.
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Leader / Boss
A good leader / boss is someone that gives feedback – good or bad – since this helps to improve the way things are done, to avoid to repeat mistakes. They like the boss to acknowledge the effort. The boss needs also to be “someone who respects”. Other qualities referred are Have excellent communication skills, provide support, inspire subordinates, be patient. He should be “qualified, experienced, comprehensive (not too much intransigent), intelligent (with certain vision, able to organize the team), who “help and support” employees and “take into account their ideas”. They would like a manager that invests in employees training and reward their efforts and results “with tasks and salary”. As one youngster from CZ says
A boss should be sharp, brief and with a good intuition.
Another youngster from UK states
Taking time to explain things and to show you how to do your job. They need to be patient and make it clear what you need to do. If they see you are struggling they need to help you. I think they need to have much better IT skills because it is not hard, but they seem not to get it.
And another one adds
Honesty, high level of effective communication, understanding and support.
To sum up, the leader / manager / boss should
• See the “big picture” • Be one of the colleagues, but not too kind-hearted, not fearful. Finds a
balance • Have been trained to be a leader • Appreciate the good work with intangible benefits • Be respectable and respect his / her colleagues • Be motivated and cooperative • Not pretend to know everything, dares to ask for help • Know how to motivate employees • Be calm but not dominant • Correct and be straightforward, giving clear explanations • Have the ability to motivate and manage human resources • Have a close relation with employees being part of the team • Give help and support • Have empathy • Lead • Have a vision and organizational skills • Be sincere and honest • Be open minded and leave space for individual initiative.
What about a mentor at workplace?
Youngsters refer they would like some kind of support at workplace. This could be some job training. They said they would not feel comfortable enough to seek proper help from co-workers. If they do this they feel they wouldn’t cover all of their questions. At a structured training, they have the opportunity to ask something they want.
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Mentoring at workplace would be very useful in the first few months at the workplace, it could reduce difficulties and make the new young employees more confident.
Mentor traits should be: friendly, patient, helpful, good communicator, be open-eyed, good judge. He should be chosen according to their mentoring skills, like empathy, good communication skills, helpfulness and good time manager
Are you prepared to work?
The school in a wide sense prepared them for work. However some gaps were identified. For instance, someone from Spain said “it didn’t give specific models to use in the workplace”. Another one refers that it would be important to have “more work experiences during college years” (e.g. internships programmes). The idea of the lack of practice is common to the partnership.
As for the skills, they do not feel they lack specific skills to enter the job market. They know that at the beginning it is difficult and there are many things to learn, but they consider this is normal and there will be a training process in the company. What they feel they lack is some soft skills like ability to control tension, to work in teams, public speaking, the ability to put arguments together and logically express their opinion, social skills, a global perspective, how to prepare themselves for a job interview and how to sell themselves.
What are the characteristics of Gen Z?
Positive traits
Innovative, with a lot of ideas, potential to grow the business, more qualified than previous generations, open horizons to go abroad, thinking in a different way, more friendly, more inclusive, flexibility, capacity to learn, capacity to use technologies, more adventurous, brave, easy to access information, capacity to learn.
Precise, persistent, good communication and organization skills. Conscientious, maximalist, I consider all aspects at decision making. Reliable, precise, creative.
Negative traits
Stubborn, difficulty to deal with rules, order, difficulty to maintain the routine, lazy, do not want to start from the bottom, more dependents from the parents and boss (being told what to do), do not know how to fight for what they want, do not look for other opportunities, accommodate, are not so open and do not take chances, difficult to be patient, to wait, everything is for now, do not value what they have.
QUALITIES DEFAULTS
“Better relation with technology” (“as we are a transition generation (…) we control it but we don’t live too much absorbed”)
“Lack of experience and many things to learn in workplace”
“Languages” “Demotivation, disillusion” (because of the hard reality and job market) and “frustration” (“educated us in false mythos”)
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“Adaptability and resilience” Lack of “patience” (“we want everything quickly”) and “perseverance” (“we give up too soon”)
“Competitiveness” (we all “have more than one master, we know many languages, etc.”)
“Low self-esteem”
“More opened” (“we started leaving the comfort zone”)
“Low spirit of sacrifice” (“as now everything immediate and expires soon, spirit of sacrifice is depreciated”)
“Integration and multicultural skills” “Lack of commitment and responsibility” “Improvement in gender equality” “Gender equality is still insufficient” “Vitality and motivation for working and impact society”
“Image has too much value”
“Entrepreneurial spirit “ “Excessive competitiveness” “Global vision of the world” (“international perspective of labour market”)
“Lack of humility”
“Use of Social networks” “Ease of communication”
“I feel technology is in our veins. We are comfortable using it for personal or professional reasons.”
“I sometimes find myself thinking about only what I want. I need to be reminded about what others want.”
“Technology leads to creativity and innovation.”
“The economic crisis excuse is starting to wear off. Other generations had the World War, we had this economic war. What’s the difference?”
“Start-ups are a consequence of productive use of technology. It is not the easy way out for those who are after fast money.”
“Is it so bad we’d rather text than to call a friend? After all, it’s cheaper!”
“Sexuality is not a significant variable in our minds. People are free to have their preferences.”)
“We live in an information bombarded world. Sometimes too much info is not good. It shutters your trust on people.”
“I have gay friends at school and I am not concerned about their preferences. I value more other things about them.”
“I see forms of aggression at school but never bother to report them, simply because I will be victimised if I do.”
“Our school attracts many different cultures. I have friends from Russia, India and Germany. Basically, I don’t care where they come from.”
“There is an outburst of bullying at schools. Even teachers turn the other way because they fear retaliation. ”
Future
Their career dream is a work in a job related with the course they are studying, being able to apply what they have learned. They also dream of their own business.
They are not afraid of not finding a job. Their real concern is precariousness. They are afraid of finding a job far from their studies and passions, with short-time contracts, “unworthy conditions” and a low salary. That is what frightens them and what can really impact their motivation.
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After graduation they will study a master for at least one more year and then they will start looking for a job. They just know that “it will be not a job for life” but they hope it will be “at least consistent with their studies”
In 10 years time… continue learning, do more courses, being a job where he can apply what he is learning, where he can communicate, do different tasks, save some money and explore teaching, work in an intercultural company, with different people, have the opportunity to work abroad, have her own company (money is not that important. She prefers to be happy and fulfilled rather than earning a lot).
Concerned with the job, insecurity, need to save money because the future is uncertain, fear of not finding what she likes to do, worried about becoming outdated, everything happens too fast, fear of being replaced by someone younger, being unemployed, concerns about stability in terms of job.
Focusgroup
Some focus group were done with a minimum of 10 persons (in total). In some cases partners opted to do more than one focus group, each one with less than 10 persons. The script used was the same for the interviews. However at this point we wanted youngsters to discuss the themes and see if they were consensual in their ideas.
In the next paragraphs we present the most important results.
Workplace
The participants underlined the importance of the meritocracy in the workplace. They highlight the necessity of being recognized for the work developed. They also talk about the good relationships among the workers. They recognize the importance of having a regular schedule but they prefer a schedule according to the nature of the work that they need to develop. They demonstrated the necessity of feeling fulfilled in their workplace. The motivation is the biggest issue in a good workplace environment.
The group agreed that variety in their work would be important rather than continually undertaking repetitive and routine tasks in the long term. To help them understand what would be expected of them, the group felt that sufficient training on-the-job would be important. They would also like to be supported by a colleague and have the opportunity to learn from them (e.g. tricks of the trade).
Respondents agreed that good atmosphere, respect, possibility of increasing skills and maintaining work-life balance is important on similar level than being paid well. Only one respondent told us that he wouldn't change the job for less paid job despite lack of good atmosphere and work-life balance. Most expressed the view that they value job security and having a good work life balance over high salaries and long hours. This is not to say they do not want high salaries, but that they do not prioritise this over the quality of their social life.
Most of young people stated that they current job is below their expectations. One respondent stated that he is satisfied with the job and he uses on this position skills learned during educational process. Though he is not satisfied with salary - with two years of experience he earns slightly above minimal salary.
Some had bad experience with employers. They paid minimal salary or used civil law contracts (this is a form of flexible employment with limited or no social insurance, which
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should be used only in specific cases, but is often used by employers who would like to decrease cost of employment), two participants mentioned that they have worked for dishonest employer and they were not paid e.g. for a week or two.
Some respondents agreed that they don't feel understood by the employers. They expect them to work a lot and most of them don't allow them for e.g. flexible work time, "they seem to don't understand the term "work-life balance". All participants agreed that their generation in general has different point of view on work and private life – they prefer to have more free time, even if it implicates lower income and standard of living.
Career attitude
Concerning the career attitude, they suggested that the labour market is too much regulated. They feel that they must follow to many rules and standards. Thus, lots of them prefer to work by themselves, creating their own job or they ask for more flexibility of their boss and tasks. They like to be able to develop their own tasks initiatives, to implement process and product innovation.
They are not expecting a career for their life. They are prepared to change their jobs many times during their work life. They are prepared for that and they assume it as natural and good for their professional evolution.
They are prepared to migrate if they do not find a job in Portugal. They referred the lack of vacancies in Portugal labour market. They recognize the importance of having a degree but in general the participants do not had experience in too many qualified jobs.
They prefer a job related to their studies and a position that allow them to have free time in order to be able to balance the professional with the personal time.
Technologies
Related to the technology participants said that they like to use technology mainly web technology but when they need to communicate they prefer face-to-face communications in the labour communications. They prefer to use technology to have their work organized and to be updated with some issues that they like or are related to their work. For them technologies also seem to be helpful to spread information but are not their preferences when they are talking about personal communications.
Whilst the group said how important the use of social media and digital technology was to them in a personal context and to some extent in terms of studying, overall it was felt in a work context it is less important. At work, the group felt the need for one-to-one discussion and instruction was more important.
The use of technology at work was taken as a given rather than a ‘nice to’ or an option. Some said they were surprised how little some of the employers they had worked for made use of technology. They commented that often it was used for e-mails, the organisation’s website and for managing finance. Most felt there was scope for employers to make more use of digital marketing and social media in their marketing. Despite this, most did not feel this would deter them from working for such employers.
When they are looking for jobs they rarely use the traditional journal in paper, they prefer to search on the web. They referred the use of facebook,”netempregos”,”netjobs”,”jobtitle”,”sapo” and others websites. They also talk
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with their old teachers and colleagues. They put their cv on the linkedin and they like that companies consider their volunteering work.
Studies / Knowledge / competencies
When they were asked about their own knowledge and skills they recognize the lack of some skills that they must learn in the work context. They refer that the educational system didn't prepare the participants for acting on labour market. They learned a lot of theoretical material, while they lack practical skills such as organizing tasks, solving problems, collecting and analyzing data.
They lack soft skills such as time management, organization of work, cooperating with others, they have problem with maintaining work-life balance. Most of respondents stated that they are often distracted, e.g. by social media (they check Facebook or Snapchat during their work).
School, college and universities do provide an opportunity to gain work experience for variable durations, but it was not deemed as effective in preparing young people for the world of work. There were some careers sessions, but little in the way of mock interviews or hearing from employers about their expectations.
Often periods of work experience were for short periods (one week), but in some cases, it was a prolonged period (one year). They served different purposes – short periods were merely an introduction to work, whilst longer periods were an integral part of the university course (i.e. industry work placement). In both cases, it was felt there was little by way of preparation of young people and how to make the most of the experience.
The social aspect of work was also deemed to be important. Most felt that working in a small team of 2 - 5 people would be ideal where they could ‘get to know’ team members rather than working alone or in large teams. Although not essential, some felt it would be nice to meet team mates outside of work occasionally, but this was not important as they all agreed that keeping work and their social life separate was desirable.
The group discussed the importance of having the opportunity to further training and development was very important. One felt that this was one of the benefits of undertaking an apprenticeship whilst others said that undertaking a one year internship/work experience programme as part of their degree was ‘invaluable and essential’ in terms of developing the skills needed in their job role and understanding the role for which they were training (i.e. primary school teacher).
Skills to write and oral communications
The same happens when they talk about their own skills. They underlined the lack of many transversal competences, specially written and verbal communication in other language.
Leadership
Related to the leadership participants like a close leadership, they would like to have a boss to look up as an example to be followed and to learn with. They underlined the importance of the respect among workers, independently of the work level in the organization hierarchy. They also referred the need of freedom and the importance to
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have a good support from their boss. They appreciate the opportunities to grow up in the hierarchy of the company. They appreciate when they can learn from their boss.
They like work in small groups but the participants referred that they do not like to have too much responsibility, they prefer someone telling them what they need to do. Nevertheless they want a challenged and motivated job. They prefer to earn less but have an interesting job.
Asked about the help and support they would like to receive when starting a job, the group listed the following as important:
• Having a named person to whom they can approach if they experience a problem (e.g. a buddy)
• Being given the appropriate training to carry out the job and job tasks before having to achieve results
• Working with a small team that they can ‘get to know’ and work alongside before taking on new responsibilities
• Being given ‘meaningful’ tasks and jobs to do rather than basic tasks like ‘making the coffee’ or ‘just entering data into a spreadsheet’
• Gradually being given more responsible tasks and being trusted • Time to ‘settle in and find out who is who and where everything is’.
Gen z
Some of them have an entrepreneur vision and want to have their own job in Portugal.
They recognize their generation as entrepreneurs, like taking risks, being innovative, look to alternatives and different ways of views. They see the old generation as the wiser and more educated but sometimes they do not understand their own generation, their ideas, attitudes and ways of living. The old generation, in their point of view, have too many rules and sometimes do not accept that they also can learn with them.
Related to the future
Related to the future, the main concerns of the participants were to get a job that they do not like. They look for a job but they also need to be realized. This is the most important for them.
5. Conclusions
Gen Z members are experts in technology and they are aware that this is one of their main strengths. Even though not everybody likes it, technology is totally integrated in their personal and work daily life and it accelerates and improves their work. ICTs control provides them many tools and makes them feel more confident and able to face any task at work. Actually, they don’t feel they lack technical or specific skills and they know many programs and application that can support and facilitate their work. Social Networks are more questioned and not everybody agrees with their advisability in work context.
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Even though society considers them as individualist with a certain shortage of interpersonal skills, the Gen Z that emerges from this study considers relations, team climate and team work as the most important factors to do the best work. In workplace they unanimously opt for face-to-face interactions, both with managers and with colleagues. They consider communication skills as essential to enter in the job market and they always prefer work environment with good and closer relations (small companies and work groups).
They value almost positively the education received at University, but they assume that Masters and post degree courses train them more specifically for work. Moreover, they consider that they will need (and desire) training in the workplace. They mention various aspects to be improved in college curriculum: to increase the offer of work experiences (internship since the second year and in different type of companies), to work more on Communication skills (through seminars, debates, public presentations, etc.), to provide competences on project design and management (as it is an important part of the jobs nowadays), to provide initiative skills and resources to be creative in the generation of new job opportunities (“as there are always more people and less workplaces”).
To access the work market they usually make use of internet and personal network. Job services are disregarded and considered almost ineffective. This data should generate a reflection about their compliance to new generations’ needs.
What kind of work do Gen Z members prefer? They desire a job consistent with their studies, in which they can enjoy, develop and advance. They prefer small companies/organisations and small teams for the closer relations and friendly climate, but they also recognise the benefits of a big company (training opportunities, more resources and departments, etc.).
Even though they are aware that they will have to change work and they will receive a low salary at the beginning of their career, they all aspire to a stable and well-paid job and this is one of their main concerns for the future. For them is not a problem to go abroad for a job. Instead, they have really clear that they don’t want work to take up all their time. Work must be a part of their life but they aspire to conciliate professional and personal life.
In work environment, they really value respect, mutual appreciation” (between personnel and among employer and employees), flexibility, creativity, transparency, the possibility to ask for and receive help (from managers and colleagues) and to express ideas, creativity and self-organizing.
They don’t see themselves as entrepreneurs, at least not in the immediate future, as they still have many things to learn and to do a part from work.
They prefer to work with closer generations because they feel more complicity and reliance. Older generations’ members are wiser and have more experience but they have a different approach and style at work; they are less flexible and more hierarchic and they miss the technology factor, which is not only a tool but a working style, characterised by multitasking, quickness, dynamism, network…
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Their relation with hierarchies is not really good. For them a good boss is not the one who stay out of the team or closed in an office; someone far from their employees and to fear. A good boss is a person that is a part of the team; he/she organises, motivates and supports the employees, and rewards their efforts and results; he/she is patient, empathic, comprehensive…
On the other side, Gen Z members have many qualities to bring to a company: their control of technology, languages, adaptability, responsibility, high education, vitality, creativity, bravery, multicultural skills, gender perspective, etc. They also recognise as their main defaults the lack of experience, low patience and spirit of sacrifice, volatility, laziness, introversion, low self-esteem, disillusion and a certain doses of insensibility due to an excess of information.
Lastly, they are quite optimistic about the future. Rather than fear of not finding work, they fear of precariousness and having a job where they cannot fully develop and enjoy. This is probably the main challenge of future employers: make new generations express and develop all their potential, offering them stability and fairy work conditions.
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6. SWOT analysis of the interwork between Generation z and Employers
STRENGHTS WEAKNESSES
Ready to communicate clearly and respond quickly
Highly receptive and quick to act
Prefer personal communication rather than relying on email or phone
They are more entrepreneurial, less focused on money
Believe honesty is the most important quality in a leader
Unlike previous generations, they see leadership as a privilege
Focus on driving results and seeing the purpose of every task
They have to be able to connect the dots between the day-to-day tasks and the long-
term benefit for the company
Willing to work harder than previous generations
Place a premium on the quality of talent they're working with, not the location
Despite their natural fluency with technology, they're more interested face-to-face
communication than their Gen Y counterparts
Instead of relying on instant messaging and social media for communication, this generation wants to speak in-person
Looking to make connections now in ways that are more personable
Skills (technology, languages, communication, team work) and knowledge
(high qualification)
Motivation
Creativity and dynamism
Control of Social Network
Flexibility, versatility and adaptability
Availability to work abroad
Multicultural skills and gender perspective
Gen Z doesn't want to be confined to a typical 9-5 workweek
Because they grew up immersed in technology, this generation doesn't feel bound
to working in one specific place every day
They would rather work from home if they think it will help them get more done
Prefer less a corporate office space and more the work that they're doing and the people that
they're working with
Young employees with lower educational level report fewer job resources (autonomy and
social support), more physical demands, less dedication, more emotional exhaustion, and
poorer health and performance compared with the highly educated group
More inclined to work from home when compared to the generation before them
It is important to recognize and intervene on unique characteristics of different educational
groups (young employees with different educational backgrounds) with regard to
wellbeing, health, and performance in order to maintain a healthy and productive young
They exhibit more of an entrepreneurial spirit than their predecessors (but this
doesn't necessarily mean that they all want to start their own businesses)
Work experience
Availability to work abroad (risk of brain drain)
Low commitment (volatility)
Low patience and spirit of sacrifice
Difficulty to focus attention
Lack of initiative
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OPPORTUNITIES THREATS
They invite to present in meetings
They like to take the lead in front of clients or customers
Technology will be a key element they'll see evolving, since gen Z are even more tech-
savvy than millennials
Gen Z preferences to connect and share their learning experience anytime, anywhere
Gen Z also hopes to work fewer jobs than Gen Y — meaning they plan to stay at one company for a significant period of time,
instead of bouncing from job to job looking for the perfect fit
The generation is extremely design-conscious
Gen Z members note an ad’s aesthetic qualities and appreciate the use of new
immersive formats like augmented reality and virtual reality
Positive factors to the Internet usage, as problem-solving skills, proactive study, information gathering, and awareness
globally and locally; communication and collaboration with their peers and family
Computerization of work and technological progress
Development of new professions and new markets in a global dimension
Relationship between several generations and cultures in the
workplace
Put in the un-fair competition with low-paid foreign job seekers in industrial countries
Willing to work harder than previous generations
66% say they don't know enough to start planning for the future
Impending loan debt pose barriers to securing their financial futures (70% believe a loan debt
will make it hard to put money toward the future)
Almost 40% of gen Z are afraid they won't find a job that's a good fit for their aptitude and
personality
The Internet has become a powerful force in relation to communication, but numerous
problems from cognitive, social and physical developments' perspective occured
throughout the Internet usage
In this case social networking loses categories of time and space providing the concept of the
world without borders
New negative factors as physical contact and physical activities were prevented, thinking,
concentrating and memory skills were reduced, depressed and isolated, laziness
having increased
They follow same digital trends and changes happening all over the world –
good as well as bad
Precariousness of the labor market
Labor demand exceeding labor supply
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7. Implications for companies and education / suggestions, comments and guidelines
Suggestions for education agencies:
Since early stages of education the emphasis should be put on practical workshop, communication skills, and encouraging children to be creative and not to be afraid to speak and take initiative. They should be ensured that being wrong is not a crime – sometimes it is better to be wrong and learn from mistakes than be passive and invisible.
Since the beginning of education the focus on workplaces should be more visible – from trips to companies and interviews at the beginning to compulsory internships at the end. Career advising should also be more developed.
Suggestions for employers:
Gen Z members are sometimes impatient; they are used to instant gratification and get bored very quickly. It is important to remember that at the same time this is what makes them so useful and effective – they can find any information online, they use software and applications better and faster than their employers. We need to remember the 20/80 rule – 20% of the effort makes 80% of the final result.
Although young people seem better for jobs that require technological skills – we need to remember that this is a huge group of people living in the world of freedom, which makes them one of the most diversified groups ever. Among fast and technologically developed students it is possible to find the ones who are precise, careful and full of commitment. Employers should invest in tools to find the desired features among employees and give them tasks according to their strengths – it is the best way to gain their respect and engagement.
Despite the fact, that Gen Z members are considered egocentric individualists they want to learn and develop good quality relationships at work. Employers should not expect that everything will work the way it has always worked. We all should meet halfway.
Young people just after graduation are not used to take initiative, to speak their minds and brainstorm. This is way out of their “comfort zone”. Nonetheless their comfort should not be taken into consideration in this case – they are naturally creative and should be let (or even forced) to discover their creativity, not to be afraid of stupid questions and wrong answers. This generation members are known for their flexibility and they adapt to the new conditions very quickly.
Employers and recruitment agencies should look for young employers in internet and social media. The most innovative ways will attract the most innovative students.
Young people appreciate clear communication with their leaders, clear rules, honesty and openness.
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To motivate young people to commitment and hard work it is not enough to scare or “buy” them. They don’t like artificial hierarchies and can’t be forced to respect someone. The only way to gain their engagement is to work hard, be committed, respectful, be a good leader and help them develop their skills. This is a generation of “internal motivation” – if they like and respect you, they will work their best for you.
When entering the workforce they're bringing several new ideals with them.
Being involved in a leadership they demonstrate strong integrity and provide clear visions for the organization.
They may contribute the organisation mainly in the form of bottom-line contributions.
An opportunity for academic institutions to promote social learning practices amongst the students and to engage with them in a better way to improve learning outcomes.
Innovation in formats like native ads, sponsored lenses and sponsored filters all attract much stronger approval with Gen Z than other age groups.
Gen Z members spend more time on social platforms and visit more platforms. These include not only Facebook and YouTube but also Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat.
Don’t apply the same approach globally. Gen Z is not homogenous and local insights reveal further nuances.
It is not a monolith generation, their upbringing, expectations and access to technology, however, has created a range of attitudes and behaviours that will challenge marketers. Only where brands take all this into consideration will they be successful in engaging this increasingly critical and fast-emerging group of consumers.
Stress the career development intervention based on career competencies and the jobs methodology, which aims to stimulate career self-management and well-being of young employees.
Things like face-to-face mentoring, coaching, and advisement are going to become more important to this generation, this could signify a shift back to older forms of communication for businesses.
Career paths and goals will be established much earlier for Generation Z. There's a huge trend of people taking things on earlier in life in order to compete later in life. High school students are already completing internships and taking advantage of volunteering opportunities in fields they're interested in.
The Internet has become a powerful force among Z Gens in relation to communication, cooperation, collaboration and connection, but numerous problems from cognitive, social and physical developments' perspective are developed throughout the Internet usage. In this case social networking loses categories of time and space providing the concept of the world without borders
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New negative factors as physical contact and physical activities were prevented, thinking, concentrating and memory skills were reduced, depressed and isolated, laziness having increased. They follow same digital trends and changes happening all over the world – good as well as bad.
Businesses have the task to create a working environment suitable for young job seekers to become productive. The challenge is not to attract but to retain young people. It is well know that businesses that the cost of employee turnover is high. The first months of employment are not considered to be productive and do not contain any payback for the employer. But the objective of retention has more than just financial incentives. Every company needs the mix between older (experienced) and younger in order to remain in touch with the emerging changes in the market. How then companies can improve their retention rate among the young?
Educational authorities
Educational Authorities can re-design part of their educational model and adjust it to the needs of the European job market. It has always been a problem to bridge the gap between academic education and market requirements. Academic institutions create special units to narrow this gap but part of the problem lies on how prepared are students to enter the job market. It is evident that soft, social and life skills are missing from their curricula, leaving students alone to discover their interpersonal skills. Perhaps organising some workshops on that direction could help towards bridging the identified gap.
In addition, experiential training (internships, apprentices, work placements etc) can be monitored by mentors in order to have a more effective impact on someone’s readiness for the job market.
Public job services
Public job services are currently restricted to work placements. They can add to their value to the unemployed by organising sessions that will assist them enter or re-enter the work force more effectively and more productively. As part of the social services offered to citizens, they can utilise unemployed people’s time by offering them soft skills training, re-skilling workshops etc.
Finally,
- Give young employees a fair development plan based on their potential and background
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- Offer them a pleasant working and supportive environment which they can look forward to come to everyday
- Create an incentive scheme which will be populated not only by monetary incentives
- Encourage young people to share their ideas and creativity. Practice brain storming sessions to solve office problems
- Encourage employees to never stop seeking training but ask them to share their training experience with their colleagues
- Leave the employees free to express and propose their ideas and to develop their creativity;
- Have office regulations who are flexible but not exploitable
- Recognise the achievements of employees or of the office in general. Don’t fear to reward those who work hard.
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8. References
Creswell,J.W.,&Miller,D.L.(2000).DeterminingValidityinQualitativeInquiry.TheoryIntoPractice,39(3),124–130.http://doi.org/10.1207/s15430421tip3903_2
deRuyter,K.,&Scholl,N.(1998).Positioningqualitativemarketresearch:reflectionsfromtheoryandpractice.QualitativeMarketResearch:AnInternationalJournal,1(1),7–14.http://doi.org/10.1108/13522759810197550
Onwuegbuzie,A.J.,Slate,J.R.,Leech,N.L.,&Collins,K.M.(2007).Conductingmixedanalyses:Ageneraltypology.InternationalJournalofMultipleResearchApproaches,1(1),4–17.http://doi.org/10.5172/mra.455.1.1.4
Reid,K.,Flowers,P.,&Larkin,M.(2005).Exploringlivedexperience:AnintroductiontoInterpretativePhenomenologicalAnalysis.Psychologist.http://doi.org/Article
Ryan,G.W.,&Bernard,H.R.(2003).TechniquestoIdentifyThemes.FieldMethods,15(1),85–109.http://doi.org/10.1177/1525822X02239569
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ANNEXE 1 IGEN
Interwork between Generation Z and Employers
Script with the questions for the focus group.
Introduction to the sessions.
Presentation of the aims / objectives / outputs of the project
Thank the presence.
Ask permission to tape the session.
Questions:
Dimensions Categories Indicators / questions Comments Introduction to the interview
At this stage, the interviewer should introduce him/herself as well as the project. Present the aims / objectives / outputs of the project Thank the interviewee for having accepted to answer some questions Tell the interviewee that all answers will remain confidential Ask permission to tape the interview
Workplace Motivational patterns Expectations / needs What you value most in a job? Why?
Job searching practices How do you search for a job? Preferred industry to work in
Decision-making factors Problematic areas at
work What attributes in the workplace allow you to do your best work?
Communication with the others
Boss / colleagues Most effective ways to communicate with others
Working with Gen Z and millennials
Co-worker preferred What kind of diversity in the workplace you value most?
Work environment How long to stay in The first job? How do you prefer to work? Why? Where would you prefer to work?
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Career attitude Career choices What kind of job you prefer?
Future perspectives Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Technologies Technology in the workplace
How do you describe your relationship with technology? What is the role of technology in the workplace?
Studies / Knowledge / competencies
Soft skills needed to strengthen
Is college doing enough in preparing you for the workplace? Why?
Practical skills they lack Do you lack skills to enter the job market? Why?
Leadership Form of help and mentoring they need
What are your expectations regarding your manager?
Relations with the boss How do you prefer to engage with your boss?
Qualities of a manager Which qualities do you value most in you’re a manager?
Gen z How do gen z see themselves
Describe you by mentioning 3 qualities and 3 defaults of people of your age
Future What are your main concerns for the future?
What are your expectations after graduation?
End the interview by thanking the collaboration and asking if the interviewee have questions. Inform that the interview will be transcribed and sent to the interviewee for validation.